Xiang Yang thought it over. He had originally assumed something had happened to the Black Wind Stronghold, leaving the county's tough men cowed and unwilling to stand up for Zhou Fugui. He had come to gather information so he could prepare accordingly, but now that he knew the reason, he no longer wished to stay.
But just as he was about to speak, the Wordless Book in his mind suddenly shone. Another layer of the heavenly book peeled away deep within his pupils, covered in writing. The book had issued him another task: help Zhou Fugui ransom Miss Zhou. If he succeeded, he would be rewarded with the Iron Finger Technique.
Xiang Yang's heart stirred. After weighing the matter, he immediately discarded the thought of leaving. He looked at the grief-stricken Zhou Fugui, rested his left hand on the sheath of his Wild Goose Feather Saber, and said,
"Lord Zhou, since those tough men are unable to step forward now, I am willing to make the trip in your stead and deliver your message to the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold. What do you think?"
Before Zhou Fugui could answer, Fu Da Chun, seated to Xiang Yang's right, sprang to his feet. "Brother Xiang, have you gone mad? The Black Wind Mountain Stronghold is a dragon's pool and tiger's den that devours people without even spitting out their bones. Don't be foolish."
Fu Da Chun thought Xiang Yang was acting on impulse, planning to climb the mountain and kill bandits to avenge his father. It was not impossible, especially after the scene at the Zhou family gates, where Xiang Yang had drawn his saber. It had left a deep impression on Fu Da Chun, and he did not want his friend to die young.
Xiang Yang shook his head and shot Fu Da Chun a glare, making him settle down before turning his gaze back to Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui's eyes had initially lit up, and he had been tempted. But when he remembered that Xiang Yang's father, Xiang Da Niu, had died at the hands of the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, he feared Xiang Yang might act rashly. If they failed to ransom his daughter and instead enraged those mountain bandits, she would suffer for it. He was about to refuse.
Xiang Yang could tell from Zhou Fugui's expression that things were going badly and hurriedly said, "Lord Zhou, please do not refuse so quickly. Hear me out first.
"There is no denying that I hate the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold to the marrow of my bones. I wish I could raise my saber and slaughter those beasts to the last man. But I know my own limits. Right now, I am alone and weak, and I simply cannot do it. All I seek is to use this opportunity to learn the stronghold's exact circumstances.
"Moreover, I made this decision only after careful consideration. I will never delay Miss Zhou's rescue, much less place her in danger. Lord Zhou, please consider this carefully."
Xiang Yang spoke with genuine feeling, and Zhou Fugui was somewhat moved. Zhou Fu, the Zhou family steward standing nearby, also nodded slightly, even showing a trace of delight. Such a hard-won opportunity could not be allowed to slip away.
Climbing Black Wind Mountain Stronghold sounded simple, but it was difficult in practice. If Zhou Fugui offered a large enough sum, there would naturally be desperadoes blinded by money who would take the job. But without real skill, one might be chopped into minced meat before even catching sight of the stronghold.
First, the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold lay on Black Wind Mountain, dozens of miles outside the county seat. The mountain paths were rugged, and wild beasts roamed the woods. One careless step, and a person would become a beast's dung.
Second, on the advice of the second-in-command, Poison Scholar, the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold had built several outposts. If someone entered the mountains to search for the stronghold, too few people might be hacked to death before they could even speak. Too many, and the sentries might assume the authorities had come to suppress them, then rush back to report it. The mountain bandits would scatter into smaller groups and hide throughout the mountains, making the trip a wasted effort.
Thus, Zhou Fugui was caught between a rock and a hard place. He had never found a capable man who could bear this commission and climb the mountain, and even now, his brow remained tightly furrowed.
"Master, Constable Xiang trained in martial arts from childhood under Hero Xiang. His saber skills are superb; no one could be more suitable for climbing the mountain. And if he passes the outposts, enters the stronghold, and meets its leaders, he might truly be able to settle the matter."
Zhou Fu spoke anxiously. As the Zhou family steward, he had watched Miss Zhou grow up under his very eyes and cared deeply for her. He wished he could send someone to rescue her at once. Now that Xiang Yang had volunteered, and was also a constable from the County Yamen, Zhou Fu wished he would set out immediately.
Zhou Fugui shook his head and raised a hand halfheartedly, signaling Zhou Fu not to say more. He then turned to Xiang Yang. "Little Brother Xiang, I appreciate your goodwill, but I cannot let you walk into danger.
"Your father intercepted the mountain bandits from the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold this time. He killed two and wounded many more, already forging a blood feud with them. If you go up that mountain, you will surely meet a terrible end. I cannot let you take that risk."
Xiang Yang nodded, gaining a little more appreciation for Zhou Fugui. From those words, he could see the man's character. At the very least, he was not some selfish, heartless villain who grew rich by exploiting others. Xiang Yang said,
"Lord Zhou, there is no need to worry. So long as the four of us in this hall say nothing, how could the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold learn my identity? Besides, I resemble my late mother. Those bandits will not be able to see through the disguise."
At the end of his words, his left hand slapped and pressed. With a ringing shing, the Wild Goose Feather Saber left its sheath. Xiang Yang tossed the teacup at his right into the air, then slashed and struck. Saber light flashed, splitting the cup and its lid into four pieces. At the same time, with astonishing speed, he lowered the saber blade and caught all four falling fragments. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Not a single piece was missed, displaying a remarkable saber technique.
Zhou Fugui, Zhou Fu, and Fu Da Chun all stared wide-eyed. Impressive, truly impressive. Few constables in the County Yamen could perform such a feat. Like father, like son—Xiang Da Niu could kill bandits, and Xiang Yang was not much inferior.
Xiang Yang, meanwhile, wore a calm expression as he slowly set the tea cup's four split pieces on the table and sheathed his saber. In truth, he was terrified. Catching teacups was not something he could succeed at every time.
That move of Xiang Yang's had looked mysterious, as though he were a renowned saber master. In fact, he had merely used the slashing and pressing moves from basic saber arts. It was only because of his extraordinary strength and speed that it produced such a visual effect.
Xiang Yang had also planned it well. If he had failed to catch the teacup, he would simply have sheathed the saber. The slash alone would have been impressive enough. Now that he had completed it flawlessly, it added several more layers to his air of grandeur.
Fu Da Chun's face flushed red with excitement. No wonder Brother Xiang was so confident—his martial arts had improved enormously. In that case, going to the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold did not seem terribly dangerous.
Xiang Yang had anticipated this long ago. Otherwise, he would not gamble with his life over a mere Iron Finger Technique.
What mountain bandits sought was wealth. In the past, some families had used money to ransom captured relatives. Zhou Fugui was merely the richest among them.
So long as Xiang Yang could make it through the mountain paths and safely pass from the outposts to the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, the danger would be greatly reduced. There was even an eighty percent chance that he would return safely and a seventy percent chance that he could ransom Miss Zhou.
Beyond all that, Xiang Yang could use this operation to scout out the Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, observe Hu Qiang up close, complete the task, and gain the Iron Finger Technique to strengthen his martial arts. There was no reason not to do it.
"Worthy Nephew Xiang, since you have such resolve, I will entrust this matter to you. Everything will proceed according to your instructions. If you successfully rescue my daughter, I am willing to offer one thousand taels of silver in gratitude. Even if you fail, so long as you return safely, I will still give you two hundred taels of silver for your efforts."
Fu Da Chun was somewhat puzzled. Shouldn't he be promising the young lady's hand and three tea estates? How had it shrunk so drastically all at once?
Xiang Yang did not care about any of that. Instead, he was rather pleased. From the beginning, he had not been after Zhou Fugui's property. Getting money now was already quite good. He could learn about his enemies, obtain the Iron Finger Technique, and earn money besides, without having to worry about the medicinal soup for the Iron Crotch Technique. Killing three birds with one stone—excellent.
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